The present invention relates generally to memory management. More particularly, the invention is directed to a system architecture and method for managing nonvolatile data storage devices individually resident within workstations (personal computers) which are themselves the elements of a network.
A representative workstation includes a processor with volatile memory, a video display a keyboard with mouse, a printer, and a nonvolatile data storage device, such as a hard (fixed) disk or functionally equivalent optical disk or tape drive apparatus. In the context of a network, the workstation represents a terminal which interfaces to the network using the protocol of the network. The protocol may be provided directly by a networking card in the workstation or the consequence of a terminal emulation program executing on the workstation.
Network connected workstations are proliferating with the increased use of word processing, databases, and electronic communication. The increasing presence of workstations and networks thereof in the workplace has created a situation in which average human user of a workstation is significantly less experienced and knowledgeable in the system idiosyncrasies. Nevertheless the user and the system are expected to exhibit increase productivity. Workstation error messages and the associated down time are clearly undesirable. In this context a particularly vulnerable aspect of each workstation has been the capacity of the nonvolatile memory resident at the individual workstation.
Capacity related hard disk failures. i.e., operational interrupts and associated error messages, occur when the data being conveyed to nonvolatile storage exceeds the disk capacity. Consequently, the operational interrupt and associated error message to the workstation user occurs at a time and under a condition when such workstation user is least capable of easily correcting the situation. Such failures of the hard disk are particularly disruptive when the error messages require the workstation user to respond by selectively deleting data from the hard disk before completing the operation so interrupted. The less experienced the workstation user, the more disruptive is the event and complex the corrective action.
Consequently, there exists the need for a system and method for managing a network composed of multiple workstations having independent and workstation resident nonvolatile memory devices with resources to anticipate and reallocate nonvolatile memory within the network. The system and method should minimize workstation down time and user involvement.